Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 398: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the annual level of support advanced to the Irish film industry between 2002 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32865/05]

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish Film Board is funded by my Department and operates independently. It is responsible for the day-to-day promoting of the Irish film sector. The amounts made available to the board over the past four years were as follows: 2002 —€12.265 million; 2003 —€10.768 million; 2004 —€11.846 million; and 2005 —€14.45 million.

The other major strand of State support for film is through the section 481 scheme for investment in film production. This relief has been extended to 2008, with the amount that may be raised increasing to €15 million since the beginning of this year. The total number of projects certified over the past four years under the section 481 scheme were as follows: